Cleric Reiterates Iran’s Deep Mistrust of US

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A top Iranian cleric underlined the country’s deep distrust of certain western countries, the US in particular, saying the untrustworthy countries only care about their own interests.

Addressing a large congregation of worshippers here in Tehran on December 6, Tehran's Provisional Friday Prayers Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ahmad Khatami voiced support for the Iranian team of nuclear negotiators engaged in talks with the six major world powers (the US, France, Britain, Russia and China plus Germany) over the country’s nuclear program, and said, “We trust in our team of negotiators, but to the same extent that we trust them (negotiators), we are mistrustful of the US and some western countries.”

Ayatollah Khatami explained that such distrust stems from the political attitudes of the western countries, which he said care solely about their own interests.

Iran and the G5+1 (also known as P5+1 or E3+3) signed a six-month deal on Tehran’s nuclear program after three rounds of intensive talks in the Swiss city of Geneva on November 24.

The deal is intended to allow time to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on the nuclear program.

In exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities and allow more inspection of its nuclear facilities, the six world powers have agreed to impose no new sanctions on Iran and to suspend some existing ones on its trade in petrochemicals, automobiles, gold and precious metals, civil aviation parts, and food and medicine. They will also let Tehran receive a small portion of its frozen assets while a permanent agreement is sought.

The Iranian cleric further noted that Tehran will remain committed to the nuclear accord as long as the other side respects the deal, and added, “Once we see the slightest sign of lack of commitment (by the West), we will not remain committed to this statement (Geneva nuclear deal) anymore.”

In relevant remarks on December 2, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari called on the country’s authorities to nullify the recent nuclear accord if western countries, particularly the US, start to renege on the deal.

“The (Iranian) officials should strongly consider the (Geneva) deal as null and void if they see any violation (of the deal), lack of commitment or trampling on the inalienable nuclear rights of our country, and the abuse of the agreement and personal interpretation (of the deal) by the West and the US,” the commander had stated.